Why is edema of the larynx likely to obstruct the airway?

Answer:
Edema is an excess of fluid. If you have fluid build up in your larynx, or voicebox, it causes swelling, or expansion, thus restricting the air flow through that area. Hope this helps, and God Bless!

---

Your larynx is your voice box. It sits at the top of your trachea. The air you breath must pass through it to reach the lungs. Edema is a sweling caused by a build up of fluid in your tissues. If your larynx swells it can close off your airway.

---

Hi there,
The larynx is the uppermost part of the wind pipe-the passage to lungs. Its just beyond the oral cavity and is situated in front of the foodpipe ( the esophagus). The prominence in the neck called the adam's apple, is in fact the larynx. When one inhales highly irritant fumes like that of acids or industrial exhaust, or high concentration of carbondioxide, or ingest something that the person is very allergic to, or even in a case of infections of the larynx, the mucus glands suddenly star secreting high amounts of fluids. The blood cells responding to the reaction accumulates in the region and secrete histamines, bradykinins and other similar allergic response chemicals. All this cause the inner skin (mucosal lining as in medical jargon) of the larynx swells up. This "edema" obstructs air entry and may ocassionally block the entire lumen of the windpipe. This usually doesnt occur in a chronic case of inflammation, but in situations of acute infection such as "the croup" in children and in severe allergic response, the frothing may be heavy enough to block the whole lumen of larynx, where by the person is either drowned in his own secretions, or is asphyxiated. In such cases some doctors may attempt to thrust in an ET tube(endotracheal tube) inorder to create a passage for air. But the mere touch of posterior part of larynx with anything ( not even ET tube) can exaggerate the block. Usually as a desperate measure, a doc pushes in a large guage needle into the throat, strategically placed below the thyroid. This can act as a bypass airway. Later the trachea (wind pipe) can be surgically pierced (called a cricothyrotomy or tracheostomy) at leisure in the Operation theatre to establish a Tracheostomy tube for air entry. This is later closed once the edema is brought down with diuretics and steroids.
So hope that was clear to you.
Well, so long,
Dr. Suraj,
Kerala,
India.

---

It further narrows an already narrow passage.

---

because edema is swelling and swelling of the larnyx will constrict the airway making it difficult to breathe

---